The BJP-led central government on Friday declared that June 25 will be observed as the 'Samvidhaan Hatya Diwas' to mark the imposition of the Emergency.
While sharing the government notification, Home Minister Amit Shah said that the decision by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to observe 'Samvidhaan Hatya Diwas' will commemorate the massive contributions of all those who endured the inhuman pains of the 1975 Emergency.
"On June 25, 1975, the then PM Indira Gandhi, in a brazen display of a dictatorial mindset, strangled the soul of our democracy by imposing the Emergency on the nation. Lakhs of people were thrown behind bars for no fault of their own, and the voice of the media was silenced," Shah while posting the gazette order on X.
Union Home Ministry noted that there was "gross abuse of power by the government of the day and people of India were subjected to excesses and atrocities" during the Emergency period.
"By imposing Emergency, lakhs of people were put in jails for no fault of their own, voice of media was silenced," said Shah.
The notification said that the 'Samvidhaan Hatya Diwas' will pay tribute to all those who suffered and fought against the gross abuse of power during the period of Emergency and to recommit the people of India to not support in any manner such gross abuse of power, in future.
PM Modi said that the day will serve as a reminder of what happened when the Constitution was trampled over. PM Modi had earlier said those who imposed the Emergency have no right to profess their love for the Constitution. While the opposition INDIA bloc repeatedly alleged that the BJP wanted to end reservation and "dismantle" the Constitution.
Meanwhile, Congress on Friday criticised the government's move and termed it as yet another "headline-grabbing exercise in hypocrisy" by PM Modi.
"Yet another headline-grabbing exercise in hypocrisy by the non-biological PM who had imposed an undeclared Emergency for ten long years before the people of India handed him a decisive personal, political, and moral defeat on June 4, 2024 - which will go down in history as ModiMukti Diwas," said Congress General Secretary (In-charge, Communications), Jairam Ramesh.
"This is a non-biological PM who has subjected the Constitution of India and its principles, values, and institutions to systematic assault," said Ramesh.